The fascinating personal collection of ceremonial items brought by Dalai Lama when he fled Tibet following Chinese aggression is exhibited in Tibet House on Lodi Road. A centre for Tibetan and Buddhist studies, this place preserves the unique cultural heritage of Tibet. On view are colourful wooden sculpture, paintings, especially carpets and ritual objects. Some objects have been collected from monasteries in Tibet while others have been created at the various Tibetan settlements scattered across India.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama established Tibet House in 1965 for the purpose of preserving the unique cultural heritage of Tibet at a time when it faced extinction in its homeland. Tibet House was the first of its kind in the world and now, about three decades after its inception, is recognized as a significant manifestation of its original purpose.

This is one of the two major physical assets of the Tibet house along with the library. It serves the invaluable role of preserving and conserving a variety of old and rare art objects of Tibet including over 2000 thangka paintings, about 200 gilded bronze, copper, brass, black stone and sandalwood statues as well as other religious artifacts, ritual implements and objects of war and household use and jewellery. The Museum holds special exhibitions, attracting international interest and recognition as well as requests for loans from foreign museums. The museum also serves as a sanctuary for an important heritage of humankind.

The library has a sizeable collection of important books and manuscripts. At the end of 1994 there were well over 1500 books in English and over 3000 in Tibetan in addition to the 233 volumes of the Kagyur and Tengyur. The Library intends to properly catalogue all Tibetan books- prepare a bibliography on specific subjects and provide the facilities for photocopying and microfilm reading. There are also plans to add an audio and videocassette section.

Tibet House has published a number of important texts on religion, philosophy, history and other aspects of Tibetan culture. The Encyclopedia Tibetica Vols 1- 137 is the most voluminous Tibetan publication. An English publication entitled 'The Sambhota Series' has been initiated. The purpose is to undertake systematic research projects in selected aspects of Buddhist and Tibetan studies. Tibet House brings out occasional publications, books, booklets and pamphlets discussing or detailing different aspects of Tibetan culture regularly.

Translation of Manuscripts is another area of activity. Established in 1985, This department fulfills the essential task of translating the aims of Tibet House into attractive action in the form of films, music and dance concerts, lectures, seminars, discussions and national and international conferences which are attended many persons from India and abroad.

Till now Tibet House has subsisted on kind, but meagre grants from the government of India, for specific projects. There is no recurring income and the institution has managed to survive somehow on small donations of well-wishers. Tibet House with its crucial location in the capital of the land deserves not only to survive, but also to expand in its role as custodian and disseminator of Tibetan and Buddhist studies.